


The Moon Gave Way to the Sun

by TheTomatoQueen



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Airships, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Steampunk, F/F, Fantasy, I honestly don't know what to put here, I'll add more tags as I think them up probably oops, Kingdoms, M/M, Pirates, Steampunk, You know I'm not even sure what this is
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-02 02:44:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4042735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTomatoQueen/pseuds/TheTomatoQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"You want a bedtime story? Well alright, here it goes. Once upon a time there was a man with the moon in his eyes.  He was cunning and irritating and beautiful.  I loved him with every beat of my heart.  This is the story of how the moon gave way so that the sun could shine once more."</i>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>There were once two ruling families that graced the land with both nobility and prosperity. The Sun family to lord over the southern part of the land near the beaches and the Moon family to ensure the safety of those living in the frosty forests of the north. Peace remained intact for several hundred years until a greedy member of the Moon family attacked. As a result of the revolt that later came to be known as the Solar Eclipse, every member of the Sun family was extinguished.  All except one.  This is a recollection of the sun, the moon, and how the day can progress only when the two are shining in harmony.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Chapter in which Hinata Partakes in Crazy Parkour

**Author's Note:**

> Coughs loudly, can we all pretend that the summary doesn't totally sound like the opening of Avatar? Yeah? Okay cool!
> 
> Welcome to my first ever full length multichapter fic for Haikyuu! I'm not quite sure what to call this as it's really a mixture of AU's. I'd say general Fantasy would sum it up nicely. Actually I drew the inspiration for this fic from a tumblr post about the zodiac signs. However, I don't want to link the post yet because it would prematurely reveal some of the characters roles (especially Suga). But fear not, I will link it eventually!
> 
> Anywho, without further adieu, I hope you enjoy the first installment of this fic ^_^

"Watch out, out of the way! Coming through! Woopsie, sorry Ukai-San! I'll pay you back for those potatoes eventually!"

A young man with a shock of bright orange hair tore down the cobbled streets of the market place, ducking and weaving through the throngs of people as his small frame allowed him to. The smile on his face was nearly as bright as the blinding sun the beat down onto his pale neck. A glance back and the smile turned into a look of mild panic. Heads of lettuce and cups of marionberry juice spilled into the streets behind him, mingling with the numerous potatoes from just seconds prior as the man's pursuers struggled to get through the jostling market crowd.

Hinata let out a small yelp and faced forward, dodging one of the blue coloured banners that tapered down from the intricate iron balconies. He had thought he'd lost the palace guards for sure a few street corners back. No one could keep up with his skillful dodging and swerving for long, especially not the big burly beefcakes they hired to work as royal bodyguards. However, these ones in particular must be of a special breed for they were able to keep pace with Hinata relatively well.

Let's pause this scene for a moment.

The young man, otherwise known as Hinata Shouyou, had grown up in a loving household with his mother and baby sister. He could vaguely recall lavish feasts and warm sunny afternoons spent lazing around castle gardens. There was nothing abnormal or painfully scarring in his past that would lead him to his current predicament. So where had he taken a wrong turn? The answer lies, in fact, with his birth and the birth of all of his ancestors before him.

But that's a story for another time.

Using his honed strength, Hinata jumped from a street cart to a cloth overhang and finally grabbed onto one of the metal banner supports, swinging from it. From this height he could see the swarm of men wearing the royal insignia giving chase but also being caught amongst the chaos of the market during the Moon Festival. A light chuckle escaped the boy as he grabbed an apple from his satchel and chucked it at a bald guard. 

"You should try the apples while you're stuck!" Hinata yelled down, hands cupped around his mouth. He laughed as the guard swung his gaze around furiously. "They're really in season right now!"

With a little salute, he then began to hop the narrow distances between the banner supports over to one of the stone bridges that were built over the street. The metal poles creaked with Hinata's weight as he jumped from the last one, his hands scrambling for purchase on the rough, rocky facade of the bridge. Just as his look of defiance was morphing into one of fear, he managed to find footing and hauled himself up over the edge.

And right into the leering eyes of a guard.

Hinata gulped as his heart plummeted into his gut.

"Apple?" He asked feebly, proffering one of the succulent fruits that he'd picked off one of the vendors down below. 

The guard roared in rage as he smacked the apple out of the outstretched hand with the silver blade of his sword and moved closer. Hinata took a step back only to find that he was standing right up against the wall of the bridge. Any movement in the posterior direction would lead to an untimely plummet to his death.

Hinata closed his eyes and tried to think of an escape route. This was always where he fell short. Action and fighting he could do but the planning and thinking had always been left to Kenma. Unfortunately, Kenma had been isolated from him back before Hinata had even stolen the apples and he had no idea where his partner in crime would be. He was left entirely up to his own devices.

In other words, he was screwed. 

The icey tip of the sword against Hinata's neck told him that the guard was getting tired of playing with his food and time was running short. One of his eyes peaked open and he craned his neck to stare at the drop below him where at least five more guards waited. 

"Gyahhhh that's a long ways down..." Hinata swallowed heavily and turned back towards the beefcake in front of him with a pacifying expression. "W-we can talk this out! I was only, um… You see sir, I was testing those apples for a friend. She thought they would bruise easily but, would you look at that!" He held up the last apple in his bag, shiny and green. "No bruises! So as you can see, my work here is done. If you'd let me-"

"Shut it, kid. We don't give a shit about some lousy fucking apples. Don't pretend like it's not you who's directly defying the royal rule. I think those eyes would make a fine trophy for the King. It’d prove to him that I disposed of the last of you rats," the guard sneered, tilting Hinata's chin upwards.

The boys eyes widened before he squeezed them shut, waiting for his throat to be filleted open.

Yet the pain never came. What did come instead was something Hinata couldn't have imagined in his wildest dreams. When he finally opened his eyes, a black blur had jumped down from the rooftop of a corner building closest to the bridge and tackled the guard to the ground. Too surprised to move, Hinata remained rooted to his spot and allowed his jaw to hang open in awe.

When the blur finally decided to stand up, Hinata noticed two things. One, the figure was wearing inky black robes and a crow's beak masque. Two, the figure was shorter than him, leading Hinata to assume they were either a girl or a kid.

The masqued figure quirked its head at Hinata, contemplating him, before turning their attention back to the moaning guard on the ground. He was clutching his head which had hit the pavement with a painful thud, and trying to get back into a fighting position. A snort came forth from behind the figure's masque as they aiming a lightning quick kick to the guard's nose. The bone broke with a crunch and the guard graduated from whimpering to howling in pain, bringing his hands up to try and staunch the blood flow.

 

While the guard was distracted with his excruciating pain, the figure bent down, their cloak billowing out behind them, and searched the pockets of the blue royal vestment. They must have found something worthwhile for they made a satisfied sound and pocketed an item before turning back to Hinata with an empty stare.

The masque terrified the boy to the core and rightfully so. It was made entirely out of black leather save for the eyepieces, which were fashioned from frosted red stained glass. The mouth of the masque came down into a sickening point, reminiscent of a dangerous bird’s beak. Hinata blinked and attempted to speak.

"U-um I don't know who you are, mysterious-bird-person, but, uh, thank you for saving my life! I think I'll be going now because, wow, do I have a busy schedule and.. I'm not.." Hinata trailed off as the masqued figure raised a finger to their lips, quieting him before motioning for him to follow. Hinata uneasily took a few steps to the side until the figure grabbed onto his wrist and looked earnestly at him. They turned around to head down the bridge but paused and did a double take, a surprised sound echoing in the beak.

Hinata poised himself to run as slender fingers rose to remove the crow masque. 

However, Hinata’s face readily showed surprise when he stared back into the fiery eyes of a young man probably not much older than himself. The man tilted Hinata's chin upwards as the excitement in his eyes grew. Hinata, on the other hand, found that he was growing increasingly irritated at having people touch his chin. 

"You have the sun in your eyes," the other male whispered, nearly quivering with exhilaration, before taking off down the bridge with Hinata in tow.

"Whoah hey! Let me go! Where are you taking me?" Hinata yelled in protest as he struggled to keep up with the cloaked man. The other briefly turned his head back around before giddily continuing on in the direction that would lead them to the docks.

"To Daichi, of course! Oh this is so cool! Just wait till he realizes I found a Sun," he proclaimed, raising a fist into the air. 

Hinata blinked. It was almost as if the creepy, collected figured from earlier had undergone a complete transformation once the masque had been removed. Scary one moment and as hyper as a child the next. Hinata wasn't sure if he trusted this person and he wished wholeheartedly that Kenma was here with him as he half followed and half was dragged down the path to the docks. 

The sun was casting vibrant colours into the sky by the time the duo had made it all the way to the ocean. The palace markets where Hinata had almost met his end were further inland near the castle and the thought of being taken far away to a center of travel like the docks made Hinata uneasy. Sure, he was poor and treated like scum in the kingdom but it had been his home since he'd been born. He couldn’t just be shipped off to the slavers now simply because this man had recognized his eyes. What a lame way to end life.

As the cloaked man rounded a corner and the mighty ships were finally in sight, Hinata wrenched his arm out of the grasp of his unsuspecting captor and made a break for it. The figure yelled in protest and Hinata saw that he'd given chase when he'd chanced a look back.

"I only wanted you to meet Daichi! Stop running. He can help you," came the cries of the figure. 

Hinata was ready to shout back his reply when he ran into the solid body of another human. He froze as two hands descended upon his shoulders, holding him into place.

"Noya? What the hell are you doing chasing kids?" A raspy voice barked, confused and incriminating. The cloaked figure, Noya, finally caught up to them and shook his head, panting.

"The eyes, Ryuu, look at his eyes!"

"I'm not a kid, I'm twenty years old," Hinata protested, slapping away the hand that had moved towards his chin, and glared up at the man called Ryuu. "Stop touching my chin. I don't like it."

The man that Hinata had run into narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to snap a nasty retort but that vanished when he got a look at the shorter man's irises. He gasped and looked at Noya in astonishment.

"I know, Ryuu! I can't believe I found him either but it has to be him. You couldn't fake it that well. But considering he just tried to run away from someone who could obviously help him, I think some introductions and explanations are in order," the cloaked man spoke, walking towards Hinata. "Nishinoya Yuu and Tanaka Ryuunosuke, resident badasses and general cool guys at your service."

Hinata glanced back and forth between Nishinoya and Tanaka, mouth floundering like a fish out of water.

"I don't care who you are, I'm not letting you take me to your slaver!" He argued defiantly, small hands balled into fists at his sides. Tanaka snorted in disbelief before they both dissolved into hysterical cackling.

"Daichi’s not a slaver," Tanaka laughed between heaved breaths, Noya doubled over and clutching his chest at his side. 

"Better not let him hear you say that, Shouyou," Noya teased as he wiped tears of laughter from his eyes. "He might not even let you onto his ship!"

"But that's- wait, hey, how did you know my name?"

Noya shrugged and began walking towards the docks again with Hinata following and Tanaka bringing up the rear to make sure the boy wouldn't run off again.

"Everyone knows you. You're famous in the kingdom. You are the only Sun who lived after all." Hinata glared darkly at the ground, nails digging into his palms.

"Don't remind me," he muttered tensely. Guilt immediately washed over Noya's features once he realized he'd hit on a touchy subject. 

“Daichi really isn’t a slaver. I’m not so evil that I’d sell you into that shitty life,” Noya explained, lowering the hood of his cloak to reveal a shock of dark brown hair with a patch of bleached blond in front. Hinata raised his eyebrows as he’d been expecting the shorter guy to be a little less, well, eccentric. In stark contrast, Tanaka wore a simple off-white tunic with brown linen pants and supple leather shoes. Almost as if he could tell Hinata was thinking about him, he began to talk.

“Daichi is… Hmm,” Tanaka began, pausing to scratch his chin. “Daichi is Daichi. You’ll find out soon enough and he can explain his story better than I ever could. If you can handle it, that is.”

“Handle it?” Hinata asked, curiosity peaking. Tanaka grinned menacingly and bobbed his head once.

“The story of how he came to own his ship is so terrifying that even the bravest of men have been known to faint upon hearing it.”

Hinata’s mouth fell open as he made a loud noise of excitement.

“That’s so cool! I have to hear it. I know I can handle it,” he squealed, hands balled into trembling fists near his chest.

“Handle what?” A loud voice boomed from the gangplank nearest the trio. “Tanaka I hope you haven’t been feeding this poor boy your extravagant stories.” 

Both Tanaka and Noya froze and straightened up, turning with apologetic stances towards the speaker. Hinata followed suit and his gaze landed upon one of the toughest looking men he’d ever laid eyes on. The speaker was tanned and well built, thick muscle coiling beneath warm skin. His hair was cropped close and black as the night, almost matching the ornately decorated coat that he wore on his shoulders. What added most to this man’s hardened look was the scar that ran from the bottom of one amber eye, over his lips, and down his chin. Hinata shuddered to think how he’d received that trophy.

With his hands gesticulating wildly, Tanaka began to explain the situation until Noya cut in over him, grabbing Hinata’s arm and dragging him forward towards the lavishly dressed man.

“Daichi look at this!” Noya shouted, shoving Hinata under the man’s nose. “Look at his eyes.” Daichi narrowed his eyes at Noya before turning his gaze sideways to inspect Hinata. Hinata flinched slightly under the penetrating stare, feeling as though the person before him could read all of his innermost thoughts. However, he’d been taught to face fear head on and so he held the gaze until Daichi let out a soft noise and addressed Noya.

“No eye modifications? I’ve heard surgery has advanced a lot since we’ve last been ashore here,” he asked quickly. Noya shook his head.

“As far as I can tell, they’re genuine. He’s the real deal.”

Daichi swept a cursory glance around the docks before turning and walking up the gangplank onto his ship. Without so much as looking over his shoulder, he waved for the trio to follow him as he disappeared behind a set of gilded doors beneath the helm. The old boards of the ship creaked beneath Hinata’s feet as he, Noya, and Tanaka followed.

After entering the doors, they were in what appeared to be an office decorated just as ornately as Daichi was dressed. The small space was immaculately tidy, each little seafaring instrument having its own place. There were globes, maps, compasses, and telescopes on shelves and in corners. Tapestries in rich colours from the orient hung from the walls and a plush lounge rested below one of the hangings. A small, dark desk sat unassumingly in the corner closest to the door. Hinata let out an amazed breath as his eyes swiveled back and forth to take in all of the intricacies that the room housed. Daichi, who Hinata now knew to be the captain of the ship without a doubt, was standing in between a bookshelf and a table that held a map with several coloured pins stuck in various locations.

“Hinata Shouyou. The last remaining Sun and heir to a kingdom you no longer have access to. Also the kid who’s been leading rebellions against the ruling family. You’ve amassed a huge reputation,” Daichi summarized without looking at him, considering Noya instead. “What do you want me to do with him?”

“Take him in,” Noya said as if that conclusion should have been obvious. “That _is_ your specialty, Captain.”

“He’s a criminal of the highest caliber,” Daichi explained calmly, turning his calculating stare back to Hinata, “Wanted not only by the military but by the Royal Family themselves. I’d be foolish to risk the lives of my crew for one kid.”

“But you have to! It’s what you do. I was _in jail_ and you still-“ Noya protested but Daichi cut him off.

“You weren’t wanted dead by the Royal Family. There’s a huge difference between the two situations.”

“Um,” Hinata spoke up and the three other people in the room looked at him as if they’d he’d forgotten he was there as well. “What exactly do you do on this ship?” Daichi blinked as Tanaka took over to explain.

“He takes in all sorts of people that have gotten the shit end of life and gives them a place on the ship. All of us on board have some sort of fucked up story in the past but we found a home here with Daichi.”

“He gives those rejected by society a second chance,” Noya piped in, a wide grin splitting his lips. Daichi nodded, arms folded across his muscular chest.

“Everyone is accepted here. Spies, oracles, _thieves_ ,” he shot Noya a pointed look, the latter of which quickly emptying his pockets with a sour expression. Noya strode across the room and opened a porthole window, tossing what he’d stolen from the guard earlier into the blue waters below. Satisfied, Daichi continued.

“I should amend that. Everyone is accepted except the most wanted criminals.”

“Do my ears deceive me or do I sincerely hear Sawamura Daichi refusing help to the person who most needs it.”

The soft voice startled everyone. The four men jumped and looked to the right corner of the room where someone was giggling lightly and shutting the dark oak door he’d just stepped out of. Hinata’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of this man. He was young and slender with wisps of grey-blond hair framing his round face. Tendrils of leaves and vines wound their way all over his body in an intricately patterned tattoo. The design was fresh and green and so lifelike that it made Hinata want to reach out and touch it.

Still chuckling, the tattooed man moved in front of Daichi to stand near Hinata, appraising him with a look of curiosity. 

“Suga,” the Captain greeted with an embarrassed expression. “I wasn’t expecting you to be back from market so early.”

“Are you my keeper? I was feeling tired so I never left,” Suga explained with a good-natured smile before resuming his inspection of the shorter man, staring deeply at the golden suns that sparkled in Hinata’s eyes. 

“I never thought I’d see you in person, Hinata. I’d heard rumours of a Sun being left alive and that he’d begun rebellions but I never expected them to be true. How have you been living since the Solar Eclipse?”

“To be honest, I don’t remember it at all,” Hinata truthfully clarified, rubbing the back of his neck. He was young when the Solar Eclipse revolt had taken place and the Moons eradicated nearly all of his family. Only fuzzy recollections remained of a time before the revolt. “The only family I’ve really ever called my own took me in when I was four. I’ve stayed with the Kozume family ever since. Well, lately I’ve been on the run with my brother but that’s because of the revolutions,” Hinata shamefacedly added. 

Suga made a noise of understanding, brushing strands of wild orange out of Hinata’s sun-filled eyes.

“You no longer have to run. Your home is here with us as it is for everyone who is outcast from society. Isn’t that right, Daichi?” Suga smiled, looking emphatically back at the Captain. Daichi sighed, rubbed a palm over his face, and, against his better will, agreed with Suga’s words.

“You can stay here for now, but if any of the crew is put in jeopardy because of you then measures will have to be taken,” Daichi said resolutely, looking at Suga and walking towards the door the tattooed man had come from. Suga smiled in acknowledgement and addressed Hinata one last time, his mouth rounded into a little “o”.

“Forgive my manners! I completely forgot an introduction. My name is Sugawara Koushi. Everyone here calls me Suga. I guess I’m something like a first mate but I don’t really care for titles. The big, scary guy is Sawamura Daichi,” Suga said, conspiratorially leaning down to whisper in Hinata’s ear. “He seems scary but he’s really a huge softie. Give him time and he’ll love you as much as he loves everyone else on board.”

A small peal of laughter escaped Hinata as Daichi let out an exasperated huff.

“My own first mate betraying me. I’m wounded,” Daichi said with a smirk as Suga chuckled and walked over to him. His next words were spoken to the pair currently messing around with the expensive looking globe in the back left corner of the room. “Tanaka, go start the ship. We’re moving into a less conspicuous port for the night and the others will join us when we stop back at this port in the morning. Noya? Show Hinata around his new home.”

As Daichi and Suga exited through the oak door, Hinata attmpted to catch a glimpse at the room that lay beyond the barrier but Noya’s flailing arms prevented him from doing so.

“Fear not, Shouyou. I am the best tour guide there is!” the thief announced, opening the office door that led back out onto the main deck. By now the sky was dark enough to look like a swath of soft blue velvet with shining pearls nestled within the folds. Once outside, Tanaka left them to head down a flight of rickety wooden stairs that led below deck. 

“Ryuu works down in the engine room along with some of the others,” Noya explained, walking over to the cherry wood railing and leaning his forearms on top of it. “I man the crow’s nest, which is clearly the coolest job ever. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi aren’t here right now but they help Daichi with scouting missions for odd jobs. Kiyoko-san and Yachi are on navigation. You’ll recognize them easily because they’re the only girls aboard!”

As if Hinata’s mind wasn’t already reeling from the overwhelming wealth of new information, Noya pointed back at the helm where a tall, burly man with long brown hair was standing behind the wheel.

“And that’s Asahi! He steers this whole ship and gets us where we need to go. If I didn’t have the coolest job already, I’d definitely says his would be a close contender,” Noya said as he blew the man a kiss. Asahi’s doe-like eyes widened and a rosey blush spread across his cheeks. However, he caught the kiss and sent one back in the Noya’s direction.

As the cool sea breeze whipped through Hinata’s messy hair, he realized that it felt incredibly awkward to watch the romantic exchange. He didn’t have long to ponder this thought, though, as the ship suddenly lurched forward sending the young man careening into the railing. When he stole a glance over the edge of the ship, he’d expected to see the hull slicing through the indigo waters and leaving a trail of white foam in its wake. The sight that met his eyes was far from that. Instead of sailing upon the ocean, the ship seemed to be steadily rising into the sky. As a gasp of astonishment tumbled from Hinata’s lips, he turned to Noya with a quizzical expression.

“Oh yeah, did I mention this baby’s not only a water vessel but an air ship as well?” Noya asked with a cheeky grin, spreading his arms wide. “Well Shouyou, this is her in all of her beauty. Welcome to The Crow!”

\- - - -

The blue velvet sky transformed into the inky purple hues of midnight as a covered figure darted through the paved palace streets. The tail of their sapphire cloak rippled out behind them as their feet moved soundlessly against the stones, carrying them further and further away from the palace that loomed in the background. A small whooshing sound from the waterfall that ran down from the mountains near the rear of the castle provided enough ambient noise that the figure was not afraid of being heard. Besides, they were sure they could sneak past any guard that would try to deter them anyways.

Sure as fate would have it, as they rounded a corner the tinny voices of a band of night guards filtered through the white noise created by the waterfall. The figure paused their travels, leaned a shoulder against the stone wall, and listened.

“Have you heard what that good for nothing Prince wants to do?”

“Yeah I heard but I ain’t gonna believe it. Kid’s too stupid for his own good.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I heard he excelled through the ranks of archery when he was only ten.”

“Yeah but now he’s twenty and he ain’t that intelligent. If he tries to do what he wants, he’ll come back dead. Mark my words.”

“You’re 34 and probably less intelligent than the Prince. I wouldn’t mark any of your words.”

The figure snorted quietly and turned around, heading out of the palace boundaries in a different direction. It wasn’t as if they were incapable of taking out the guards. They just weren’t in the mood to deal with such trivialities that night. Not when something infinitely more important loomed on the precipice of their attention. 

Once the figure had run far enough away that the castle was merely a dot on the horizon, they paused amidst the cover of the forest trees to catch their breath. Leaning against the rough bark, they procured a small case from the pockets of their cloak and popped it open. Inside were two little pools of salt solution in which floated two discs of brown. The figure made quick work of slipping the discs into their eyes, dulling the colour from a vivid shade of steel blue to an unassuming brown. 

They blinked once or twice, getting used to the grainy feeling of the contacts, before running off once more. 

As the towering trees swallowed them deeper into the forest’s depths, a slip of paper floated from beneath their cloak and landed on the forest floor to be forgotten until a weary traveller two days from then would happen to stumble upon it. When the traveller would pick it up, they would find a crude picture of Hinata Shouyou crossed out with a fat, red “X”. Of course, it would mean nothing to the traveller, but to the cloaked figure? To the cloaked figure it was a matter of life or death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to all the Daichi lovers out there. He'll come around eventually, I promise. He's just really protective of his misfit band of babies.
> 
> I'll try to update this as soon as possible! 
> 
> Also I totally want to know what you guys think about Suga. His past is probably the most mysterious so I'm curious to see what you guys are thinking B)


	2. The Chapter in which The Crow Gains Another Passenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We can no longer ignore the atrocities that are happening under our very nose."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And voila! The second chapter. I'm not entirely happy with this one but I hope you guys enjoy nonetheless. I had it out a bit earlier than intended though so that's a plus ^_^
> 
> Oh, by the by, I just want to point out that I also added another archive warning. The Graphic Depictions of Violence one. You'll see why in this chapter.

Hinata awoke to the sound of waves crashing and splashing against the hull of The Crow. His tired eyes blinked open only to be met by the piercing first rays of dawn filtering in through the tiny porthole window on the wall to the left of his cot. A hiss flowed from his mouth as he pulled the blankets up over his head, blocking out both the sun and the fact that he’d have to get out of bed sooner or later, and promptly fell back to sleep.

When Hinata opened his eyes for a second time, he was in a considerably better mood than when he'd first awoken. He sat up and let his legs swing over the edge of the cot that was attached to the wall by two heavy ropes on either side. Standing and walking to the window, HInata noticed that the rays of dawn had transformed into blinding midday light and he gasped when the realization sunk in as to just how late he’d overslept.

Throwing on his tattered over-shirt that lay discarded on the floor below, Hinata scrambled out of the room Nishnoya had led him to the night previous and down a dark paneled hallway. Thankfully the crew’s quarters were only one level below the main deck, so it wasn’t too difficult a task finding the stairs that led up to the main hub of interaction. When he poked his sleep-mussed head up from the stairs, he saw that The Crow was already back in the busy market port and getting ready to lower the gang plank.

Daichi, Asahi, and the engine boys must’ve been hard at work all through the night, Hinata figured as he padded onto the deck with a wide-eyed expression.

Even though everyone on board The Crow seemed nice enough, Hinata was still wary about the ship. He’d spent his entire life running from everyone who either wanted to kill him, sell him to slavers, or force him into prostitution because of his unique eyes. Years of running had built hardened walls around him and he’d learned quickly not to be so easy to trust, especially when he barely even knew what the people on the ship did for a living.

Hinata gathered from the information Nishinoya had given him and the stories told around the makeshift campfire the night previous that no one on the ship had a true job. Daichi stole the ship from the Royal Navy after having worked under a trusted Officer for several years. Apparently whenever they realized how the Royal Family handled business with torture and domination, he and the Officer reevaluated their lives and jumped ship. 

Along the way, he’d met Suga. This was where the information grew hazy. No one except Daichi and Suga knew the full story between the two. Tanaka speculated that Suga was a prostitute the Captain rescued from poverty but no one else seemed to agree with him. Everyone had their own theories mixed with myth and half-truth but no one knew for sure because the two had cemented their relationship long before any of the others came around.

The only thing everyone knew for certain is that Daichi would lay down his life for the other man in a heartbeat.

Apart from Daichi’s backstory, Hinata didn’t really garner any new information. He knew that the members scavenged for jobs where they could, traveling from port to port in order to make some spare cash or do a good deed. A lot of their work dealt in aiding help to those who had been persecuted by the Royal Family’s rule. Hinata felt that he identified greatly with that as he’d been running from the Kageyamas ever since the Solar Eclipse. 

Other than that, The Crow and most of her passengers remained a total mystery to Hinata. Normally, he wouldn’t stay somewhere that he hardly knew anything about; however, he felt that he was safe here. Certainly safer than running from palace guards after leading a protest against the Moon Festival. At least on The Crow, Hinata had a chance to flee should things turn sour; back in the markets, though, if he were to be caught it would surely lead to his ultimate demise.

A pang in his heart reminded him of the person he’d been running with. Although Kozume Kenma was not his real brother, they’d grown up closer than any blood related kin could. Hinata knew that Kenma would be a brother through and through until the day he was fated to die, which would be sooner rather than later if the Royal Family had their way. 

Where was Kenma now? Thinking back to the previous day, Hinata remembered running from the main stage in the marketplace where he, Kenma, and a band of their friends had set off some fireworks in the shape of a sun in front of the crowd of people gathered to watch the entertainment. From then on it was a blur. The older boy had been with him up until the point when he’d stolen the apples and then… he wasn’t. One moment Hinata had looked back and Kenma was nowhere to be seen. He hoped that the other escaped to safety while Hinata had distracted the guards even if he knew that was a futile wish. He just wanted Kenma to be safe.

As Hinata became lost in thought about the brother he’d lost in the markets, a sharp thud on his head catapulted him back to attention.

“Jeez, that’s such a mopey expression! Where’s the happy-go-lucky Sun that boarded yesterday? Don’t go getting cold feet on me now.” Hinata glanced upward to where the voice had called out from, shielding his eyes from the sun, to find Nishinoya waving down at him from the watch mast with a Cheshire cat grin spreading electrically across his lips. The spare walnut that had been the offending object rolled across the deck at Hinata’s feet.

“Your hair looks like you touched a spark plug. Someone clearly slept well,” the rambunctious man continued, dangling a foot off the side of the mast while one hand clung to a piece of the rigging. Hinata gaped at the other and furiously tried to deny anything while simultaneously smoothing his hair down (just in case).

“Do not! And besides, you always look like that!”

“And proudly so, Shouyou. My look is patented throughout the Kingdom. Only the coolest in the land can have this much style.”

“Uwooooh, seriously!? You have a patented look?” Hinata squealed, shuffling his feet to stand right below the mast from which Nishinoya was dangling from. Noya cackled and nodded, readying to reply until Daichi stepped out of his office with an amused look and joined Hinata under the mast.

“What am I going to do with you and Tanaka?” The Captain mused aloud, drumming his fingers against his folded arms. “Every time I turn around you’re filling the newcomer’s head with fanciful lies.” Noya dismissed the statement with a casual wave, swinging his other leg over the edge of the nest to sit on it. 

“There’s no harm being done, El Capitan. Besides I think he likes the stories,” he winked at Hinata who nodded vigourously in reply. A mix between a sigh and a laugh left Daichi as he turned towards the helm where Asahi was looking over a map.

“How about you do something productive and come down from the watch mast? You, Asahi, and Yachi are taking Hinata into market today to buy him clothes and contacts. I can’t have people recognizing him every time we get contracted for jobs.”

“I told you, it’s not the watch mast it’s the Crow’s Nest!” Noya groaned as he jumped off the edge and slid down the rigging. “The term isn’t gonna catch on if no one uses it.”

“My point exactly,” Daichi levelled with a teasing smirk, finally turning his torso and abandoning their conversation to speak with the helmsman.

“Just you wait,” Noya grumbled as he walked over to Hinata, dusting off his maroon trousers. “Someday everyone will call it a Crow’s Nest and then we’ll see who’s laughing!”

“I think it’s a cool term. It’ll definitely catch on,” Hinata reassured loudly, his eyes sparkling. There was something so enigmatic about Nishinoya that had Hinata enthralled from the moment they’d run across each other’s paths. Be it admiration or fascination, he wasn’t sure. However, he _was_ sure about the fact that he wanted to be as awesome as Nishinoya was one day. The man in question widened his eyes then slapped Hinata on the back, steering him towards the lowered gangplank.

“I knew I took a liking to you for a reason, Shouyou. But the Captain’s orders are law. Let’s go round up Asahi and Yachi and then you’ll get to see what a real day at market is like. Bet you haven’t had one of those in a while.”

Hinata shook his head, the anticipation in his eyes only growing.

“I haven’t been out in public normally since I was little,” he divulged readily, eyes focusing on the bustling streets beyond the wooden docks. Despite the fact that Hinata wasn’t in as as much danger in the dockside markets in relation to the palace markets, there still posed a threat of him being recognized and detained. Crystal spikes of fear poked Hinata’s heart as he looked out at all of the people that could betray him to the Kageyamas but on top of the fear was the exhilaration of being able to freely roam the streets with companions.

A flicker of sorrow passed over Nishinoya’s face before his mega-watt grin returned.

“Then get excited because we are going to have some fun today!” He proclaimed as Asahi walked down the stairs that led from the helm and joined their party. Today his warm brown hair was tied into a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. Hinata noticed that his clothing tended to verge on such that a vagabond would wear, complete with black leather boots, a blood red vestment that cinched at the waist and fell to mid-thigh, and tight leggings. Everything put together, the tall man was mercilessly intimidating and Hinata felt himself instinctively taking a step back. Of course, Nishinoya noticed and snorted, raising an eyebrow at Asahi.

“Asahi, when are you going to stop frightening everyone that joins The Crow? One of these days, you’re gonna scare everyone off and we won’t have anyone new! Think of how boring that would be,” Noya teased as he was pulled to the other’s side almost as if a magnetic force existed between the two.

Asahi’s forehead creased in worry as he held the end of his ponytail loosely between a thumb and index finger.

“Does it really look that bad?” He murmured self-consciously, shoulders hunched in slightly. “I really liked this but I can go change if you need me to.” 

“I’m just messing with you, Big Guy. Don’t worry so much, you know I always find you sexy as hell,” Noya boldly announced, tapping his finger against his lips and looking earnestly up at the gentle giant. Roses bloomed in Asahi’s cheeks as he bent down to capture the lips of the awaiting thief, the latter of which’s hands coming to rest upon Asahi’s broad shoulders. 

For the second time in the past two days, Hinata found himself awkwardly backing out of a romantic exchange between the couple, eyes frantically darting around for a distraction. Thankfully, they didn’t have to search long for he soon spotted a blonde blur racing up from below deck and waving her arms.

“Wait for me!” The girl yelped, skidding to a halt next to Hinata and panting as though she’d just run all the way from the Northern Mountains. Once she’d collected herself and stood up straight, she turned to Hinata with a joyous smile.

“You’re Hinata! Kiyoko told me last night the Sun was on board and I’ve been dying to meet you ever since,” she gushed, her tiny hands reaching up to clasp his cheeks and take a peek at the golden suns sparkling against the warm brown of Hinata’s eyes. “So pretty. I wish I had eyes like yours.”

Hinata blinked, stunned momentarily, before grinning.

“If you had eyes like mine that’d mean you’d be my sister. You’d also have to learn all sorts of crazy fight moves in order to stay away from the stupid guards,” he said, embellishing his words with a few well timed air punches. The girl giggled and playfully smacked his shoulder as Nishinoya came to stand between the two of them after having managed to untangle himself from Asahi.

“Already picking fights before he knows your name?” Noya smirked, raising a mischievous eyebrow. The girl squeaked, hands flying to cover her mouth.

“I’m so sorry! My name is Yachi Hitoka and I help navigate the ship. Pleased to meet you,” she quickly cried, bending into a deep, overly formal bow in her embarrassment. Hinata laughed and placed his hands on her shoulders, drawing the shorter girl back into an upright position.

“Well, Yachi Hitoka who helps navigate the ship, I’m Hinata Shouyou and I’m gonna be the one who takes out the ruling family,” he said with a determined yet playful expression. The embarrassment quickly fell from Yachi’s face as she too broke into a grin. 

Nishinoya stretched his arms high above his head before walking towards the gangplank and calling out over his shoulder.

“Now that we’ve got the introductions out of the way, can we please head to market? It’s already almost midday and I hardly got to look around at all yesterday,” he complained, lacing his fingers behind his head. At the tone of the thief’s impatience, the other three quickly fell instep beside him, walking off The Crow and towards the dockside markets.

These markets were quite different from those near the palace that Hinata had come to know so well. Unlike them, the dockside markets had yet to show much influence from the Kageyamas. The steel blue colours that so heavily decorated the palace markets were scarce the further away one traveled from the ruling center. Hinata found it a welcome change to not see the offending colour on every street he went down.

His hands swung loosely at his side as he traipsed along beside Yachi down the streets that housed stalls selling all sorts of trinkets from spices and fine textiles to vibrant children’s toys.

Suddenly, Hinata could no longer ignore the question that had been nagging at the back of his mind.

“Noya,” he began casually, eyes trained on a group of kids playing a game. “What were you doing in the palace markets yesterday? They’re not exactly close to the docks.” Turning around from his position slightly ahead of Hinata, Nishinoya laughed.

“Special mission for the Captain,” he whispered deviously while Asahi nervously glanced around to make sure no one was listening in on the conversation. “He wanted some insider information on the Kageyamas but the damn guy I was supposed to meet never showed. Probably someone working for the Royals anyways, not worth our time.” Hinata nodded enthusiastically.

“But why were you dressed in that creepy bird masque?”

“He wears his old thieving gear when he wants to look intimidating. He thinks it makes him look cool,” Asahi piped in with an airy chuckle. Affronted, Noya shoved the taller man with a gasp.

“I do not! They’re aerodynamic and help me move faster. I would’ve thought you would know that by now, Asahi! Boyfriend status revoked,” he grumbled, averting his face from the other. The tall man merely smiled and took Nishnoya’s hand as the party resumed walking in the hot midafternoon sun.

They continued on with lighthearted conversation, stopping every now and then to look at a stall that had caught their attention, until a muffled high pitched sobbing filtered into their ears. Asahi, having been the first to pick up on the noise, stopped immediately and tried to gauge which direction it was coming from. While he was stopped, the other three heard the crying and immediately grew worried. 

Finally Asahi’s eyes lighted on the source of the sobs and he motioned the group over. Curled up in the street against the corner of a building lay a thin, grime-covered child who couldn’t have been older than seven. Dirty strings of unwashed hair hung morosely in her face as she cried noisily into her hands.

Yachi was the first to approach the child, gently resting a hand on her arm so as not to startle her. The girl paused and glanced up with watery eyes, shrinking away from the touch.

“Please don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you,” Yachi reassured. “Do you have any family? Anyone who’s with you?” The child blinked owlishly before slowly shaking her head.

“Do have any food to eat?”

Another head shake. Yachi’s heart sank as Asahi disappeared into the crowd, heading towards a stall. With solemn eyes, she picked up a weed from between one of the cracks in the cobbled street that she knelt upon. The weed was downtrodden and filthy, the flower just barely hanging onto a drooping stem. Yachi held it out in front of the child.

“There’s a lot of flowers like this in the world,” she began as the child watched on with curiosity shining in her amber eyes. “People call them weeds but I call them unfortunate. Do you want to know why? It’s because they were unfortunate enough to be seeded in a place where they can’t grow. Where they’ll get dirty and stepped upon. But if this flower had been planted in a wide, open field it would’ve grown to be magnificent and people would’ve called it a wildflower not a weed. But you know… even the ‘weeds’ can grow to be important and beautiful too.”

Pursing her lips, Yachi blew onto the flower. In a gust of wind and colour, life seeped into the plant. The flower that had previously been hanging limp and colourless was now standing proud atop a strong green stem, displaying its vibrant hues of purple. Scrambling to her knees, the child gasped and gingerly took the flower from Yachi’s outstretched hand, awe sparkling in her eyes. 

A warm smile spread across the blonde’s lips as Asahi returned, setting a small cloth wrap full of bread and salted meat next to the child. Taking the hand of the child that was not holding the blooming flower, Yachi pressed a few coins into her palm.

“There’s a small farm just outside this town. I believe the owners are looking for someone to help them. You should visit them,” she murmured sincerely. The child opened her mouth and took a tentative step forward before flinging her arms around Yachi’s neck.

“Thank you,” the child whispered before bowing and running off down the path.

Meanwhile, Hinata stared openmouthed at Yachi as she heaved herself up from the cobbles, brushing dirt off her long skirt.

“Are you a witch?” Hinata exclaimed, arms raised protectively over his chest. Yachi blinked and furiously began to shake her head while Nishinoya and Asahi fell into a fit of laughter.

“A witch!? Of course not!” She protested, waving her hands in front of her. Unfortunately, Hinata was not so easy to convince.

“Yes you are! I saw you! That flower was dead and and you breathed life into it. Uwahhh, you’re a necromancer aren’t you?”

“No, no, no! I’ve never used witchery or necromancy in my life!” Yachi yelped, glancing to the laughing men to back her up. Nishinoya stepped forward and nudged her gently.

“I think now might be the perfect time to tell Shouyou how you stumbled across The Crow.” With a heavy sigh, Yachi flicked her gaze around to make sure no one was in hearing distance before she looked up at Hinata with a gentle expression on her soft features.

“I’m not a witch, that part was true, but I do have magic,” she divulged as tendrils of silver spiraled up her bare arms and a pair of translucent wings appeared at her back. Hinata stared on in bewilderment, making small noises of awe, as the wings glittered with a rainbow of colour in the light of the afternoon sun.

“I’m a nature fairy,” Yachi said, spreading her arms wide once the wings were fully extended.

“A nature fairy,” Hinata breathed. “I’ve never seen one before.” The small girl let out a sad chuckle.

“I doubt you would have. There’s not many of us left now since the Kageyamas have been enslaving us. I was lucky enough to have been found by Mother and Daichi in the woods two years ago. If they hadn’t stumbled across me, I would probably be dead by now.”

She giggled, recalling the memory.

“In fact, Daichi almost passed me by. It was Mother who really found me, wings all bent up and torn. Or, well, Suga as you all call him. I’m not surprised he was able to find me though. He has a special intuition,” she smiled down at the street, wings fluttering lazily in the cool sea breeze.

“That is so awesome,” Hinata cooed as they moved away from the building and resumed their walk down the market street.

“And Yacchan here has been with us ever since,” Nishinoya said proudly, beaming at the girl who grinned back. “But we all know the real reason she stayed is because she’s in love.”

Upon hearing the thief’s words, Yachi immediately flushed pink and began to stammer a refusal while Asahi clapped a sturdy hand onto Nishinoya’s shoulder.

“Noya, don’t tease her like that. They’ll figure it out when they’re ready,” he calmly admonished while his boyfriend scoffed. 

“Who are you in love with?” Hinata inquired but Yachi simply turned her face away, too flustered to answer.

“She’s been nursing a crush on her dear little navigation partner, Kiyoko, ever since she first laid eyes on her,” Nishinoya explained, batting his eyelashes and clasping his hands in front of him. “It’s so romantic. Too bad neither of them will just admit to being hopelessly in love.”

Yachi tried to protest again but this time it was Asahi who cut her off.

“Be nice. It took me two years to admit I had feelings for you,” he said sheepishly, hiding his cheeks that were verging on red. Nishinoya spluttered hysterically in a storm of laughter.

“Admit?! The only reason you ever ‘admitted’ to anything was because I cornered you at the helm and made you tell me if you liked me or not.”

At this, the bright red bloomed all over Asahi’s cheeks as he covered his face in humiliation.

“Can we not bring that up? We’re here to get Hinata’s clothing and contacts and we haven’t done either,” he reminded, words muffled from his hands. With a placating smile, Nishinoya tugged on his lover’s sleeve until Asahi’s face was at eye level and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. After successfully ensuring that the taller man was now so ruffled that he most likely wouldn’t speak for quite some time, Nishinoya clapped his hands together and took off at a quicker pace, motioning for the rest to follow.

“Right, clothes! I know just the place to find some,” he called out as he weaved through groups of passersby before darting his lithe frame into a small, green door.

When the party exited the store an hour later, not only was Hinata the proud owner of an entirely new outfit but a cape as well. The cape was fairly expensive but Nishinoya insisted on it. It was made of a shimmering black material that looked akin to silk in the right lighting and collar of the vestment was decorated with black feathers that were supposedly plucked from the crows of the Northern Forests. Hinata just thought it looked cool and so he wore it with pride, turning around to catch glimpses of the cape at every chance he could.

“You look so mysterious,” Yachi squealed as they headed further into the market to find a store to purchase contacts at.

“You think so?” Hinata asked, picking up a corner of the cape and draping it across his face menacingly. “Maybe people would actually take my rebellions seriously if I- OOF.”

Hinata’s words were cut short as both he and Yachi ran smack into the back of Asahi who had stopped in the street abruptly, hands out to keep the other three behind him. As Nishinoya began to complain and ask what he was doing, Hinata placed his hands on Asahi’s left arm and peeked around him. At the end of the street was a gathering of people, thronging together so thickly that he could barely see through. Every now and then someone would shift position and he could catch a glimpse at what was happening.

However, his ears picked up everything.

“… -been associating with the Sun boy, haven’t you?”

“I haven’t! Please, Sir, I don’t even know him.”

That made Hinata’s heart race and hands tremble as he lifted his head higher, worried that he would see Kenma under interrogation. However, when the crowd shifted he could see it was not his brother that was being held at sword point but someone he had never interacted with before. The man was telling the truth. He was just a store-owner that Hinata had no association with.

“And my mother was a cat,” the guard sneered. “That’s exactly the sort of bullshit lie someone who worked for him would say.”

“Please, you have to listen to me. I've never even seen the kid. I-…”

The man’s begging was cut short by the sharp swing of a sword followed by a sickeningly wet thump of something hitting the ground. Screams pierced the air as the crowd parted, a bloody head rolling between the people until it hit the street curb. Hinata watched on in horror, his stomach rolling.

“Anyone else that’s been working for the damn brat?” The palace guard bellowed, brandishing the now bloody sword. “No? Good. Take a hard look then, because that,” He gestured to the severed head, “is what will happen should you ever decide to aid the mongrel.”

As his entire body shook violently in terror, Hinata tried to listen to the rest of the delcaration but Nishinoya’s voice rang louder in his ears.

“…-nata! Hey! Hinata, are you listening to me?” Hinata blinked dazedly at the thief, mind still reeling from what he’d witnessed. Nishinoya left no room for contemplation though as he put the hood of Hinata’s cape over his head in one swift movement and began running back to the docks.

“We need to get out of here,” Asahi commanded, dragging a teary eyed Yachi beside him. “Clearly it’s not safe anywhere anymore. Daichi needs to know this.”

Nishinoya grunted in affirmation as he skidded around a corner, glancing towards the shaken boy running next to him.

“I know, I know. Hinata, keep the hood covering your face until we get back to The Crow and for fuck’s sake, don’t you dare look back.”

\- - - -

The scratch of pencil against paper permeated the small quarters along with a small clock ticking on a shelf by the only porthole window in the room. A resplendent ray of light filtered in through the open window and little dust particles danced in the beam.

The warm, coffee coloured eyes of the Captain flickered listlessly over his map then back to the page of scribbled notes resting near his right hand. With a sigh, he ran the end of his feathered quill over his eyes, enjoying the tickling relief it brought. He’d been up through dusk and dawn, not catching a single minute of sleep as he poured over the map trying to find a location to travel to next. His ultimate goal was to see just how far the corruption of the palace rule had spread. Thankfully it seemed that it hadn’t gotten far outside the main surrounding cities, but it was only a matter of time before the Kageyamas forced themselves into the larger Kingdom.

The creak of the oak door, carved with little woodland creatures and intricate trees, shook Daichi out of his train of thought. Already knowing the only person who would be coming out of that door, he sighed and let his torso slump forward.

“I figured I’d find you here,” Suga’s sweet as candy voice called out. “You seemed to be in one of your moods when we parted last night.” The Captain tensed and his heart skipped a beat as Suga’s hands came to rest lightly upon his shoulders.

“You need to rest eventually. You can’t do anything if your mind isn’t sharp,” he continued, tapping a finger playfully against Daichi’s temple. Daichi laughed quietly and caught Suga’s hand in his own, turning in his seat to look at the green tattoos that wound around the slender fingers. Upon the contact, Suga gasped which in turn made Daichi drop the hand for fear that he’d overstepped a boundary. He didn’t even notice the way Suga’s face fell when his hand was released as though it were on fire. 

“You worry too much,” Daichi murmured, averting his eyes. Sighing, Suga leaned back against the map table.

“And for good reason. The bags under your eyes look dark enough to be leftover eyeliner. Let me tell you, Daichi, leftover eyeliner is not a good look for you,” he quipped cheekily.

“No I’d imagine not,” Daichi softly said, meeting the other’s eyes once more. “I think you’d look rather becoming in eyeliner though.”

Suga’s lips parted ever so slightly before easing into a smile, his left hand moving to sweep a strand of hair out of his eyes.

“Ever the charmer, aren’t we Captain?” He murmured and Daichi had to look away lest he lose control and do something that involved his lips, Suga’s lips, and the potential loss of the friendship they’d so painstakingly built over the years.

Clearing his throat in an attempt to dissipate the awkward tension tangible in the room, Daichi spoke again.

“Was there a reason you were looking for me?”

“Curiosity,” Suga murmured, a rueful smile playing on his lips. Daichi raised one of his thick eyebrows.

“I’m curious as to why you refused help to the person you initially set out to rescue,” Suga prompted, the tips of his fingers tracing idle lines on the map below him. 

“You know the exact reasons why I-…”

“I don’t care about your stupid reasons, Daichi!” The tattooed man snapped, though his eyes betrayed the pain he felt having to yell at the man he loved most. “No amount of loss can possibly justify what you did. Hinata isn’t safe in the Kingdom. I’m amazed he’s even managed to survive this long.”

Guilt washed across the visage of the weary Captain, face hardened from so many years on the seas and skies. He let his gaze fall from Suga in shame but the other tilted his chin back up with one of his spindly fingers, wisps of ashen blond hair breezing about his round face.

“Have you so easily forgotten what it was we set out to do?” Suga whispered, grief filling his amber orbs.

“Of course not,” Daichi reassured, equally as quiet.

“They killed my people,” Suga reminded him, voice barely audible. His fingers moved from the map to touch his tattoos. “And enslaved those that weren’t left for dead. You know how much it means to me to see the Suns restored to power. The forests, Daichi… they’re dying. I’m not sure how much longer they can survive without me and all I can do is sit by and watch!”

The tattoos on Suga’s skin began to shift, curling and gnarling as he broke down into gut-wrenching sobs. Daichi quickly leaned forward, taking Suga gently by the shoulder and enfolding him into a warm embrace. He traced soothing circles onto the others back until his hysteria quieted into silent tears.

“I’ll never forget,” he murmured in low tones so as not to startle the other, a calloused hand cupped lovingly upon Suga’s cheek. “I promised both you and him that I would personally see to the restoration of peace and I intend to keep that promise. I just don’t want to see another death of a good man.”

Wiping his eyes on the back of his hand, Suga blearily looked up at Daichi who was now in close proximity to him and smiled halfheartedly.

“I believe you,” he whispered, closing the short distance between them.

Their lips were a hair’s breadth away from each other when a loud commotion out on the main deck caught their attention. 

Daichi was the first to pull away, grabbing his sword and racing out of his gilded office doors in a flourish. It took Suga a few moments to register what had happened as he leaned back against the map table with his fingertips pressed against his lips. Once his brain caught up with the situation though, he was quick to wipe his eyes of any remnants of tears and follow Daichi onto the deck.

As he stepped out onto the polished wooden deck, he noted that Tsukishima and Yamaguchi were back from their scouting trip. He also noticed with a sinking heart that both the returned duo and Daichi were kneeling beside an unmoving figure. Fearing the worst, Suga rushed over, his lightweight linen shirt billowing in the breeze.

“Where did you find him?” Daichi was asking, stare penetrating as he questioned the scouting duo.

“A long ways away, near Fukurodani Lake,” Tsukishima scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I wanted to leave him but Yamaguchi insisted we bring him back. It’s not as if it helped any though. He’s in terrible condition. Doubt he’ll even make it to see another rising sun.”

“That far? Why didn’t you leave him in Bokuto’s care?”

“It was on our return journey. We didn’t want to backtrack.”

“Palace guards or road thieves?”

“Unsure. Could be either but judging by his wounds I’d say it was an unfortunate run-in with some thieving bastards.”

“We found these on him but other than this he was traveling light. No provisions or anything,” Yamaguchi piped up, handing a bow and quiver of arrows over to the Captain. The bow that Daichi gingerly took from Yamaguchi’s outstretched was fashioned from sturdy dark wood and had intricately carved designs all over the body. He experimentally pulled back on the string and let it go, watching as it rebounded tightly.

“Well whoever our mysterious stranger is, he has to have some money to be able to afford a bow of this caliber. Either that or he’s a thief himself,” Daichi grumbled, setting the weapon aside.

For the first time since they’d come out onto the deck, Daichi and Suga looked down and took in the appearance of the traveler. He was young, no more than twenty, with strands of thin, black hair falling dejectedly into his eyes. A plain, midnight blue cape was fastened around his shoulders and the middle of the cape was stained dark. Daichi peeled back the material to reveal blood-soaked bandages that had been crudely tied around the traveler’s waist to hide what was most likely a severe stab wound. There was also a thick gash on his forehead that marred his porcelain pale skin.

Closing his eyes, Daichi laid the cape back over the bloodied bandages and gestured to Suga.

“Go find Kiyoko and take him to the infirmary. He’s lost a lot of blood so I’m not sure how much you can do but it would be criminal to not at least try to save his life,” he instructed. Suga nodded and tenderly gathered the traveler into his arms, hurrying down the stairs below deck to locate Kiyoko.

“In the meantime,” Daichi continued, turning his attention to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, “I want to speak to both of you in my office.”

With that said, he briskly walked back inside the gilded doors from which he had come from, the jewels on his coat glittering in the sun. The scouting duo followed behind him, Tsukishima picking dirt from under his nails in a bored manner and Yamaguchi nervously gripping his satchel. The latter even flinched when the doors were shut behind them and they were cornered between a thick barrier of wood and the man who was about to roast their asses medium rare and serve it to them on a silver platter.

However, the expected fury never came. 

“I’m not going to lecture you for bringing back an unknown traveler,” Daichi began slowly, staring out the window in thought. “I assume you already know your actions bordered on foolish. What I _did_ call you in here to talk about is your mission. How is the state of the countryside?”

Yamaguchi hesitantly glanced to Tsukishima before the taller took the role of describing their two day journey.

“Not good. Palace ranks have infiltrated nearly all of the towns. If the Kageyamas wanted to start something big, they could do it easily. The only problem is figuring out what exactly it is they’re trying to start,” Tsukishima calmly detailed with a little shrug at the end. The status report struck fear into Daichi’s heart and he was about to make a further comment when the doors to his office burst open.

“Daichi! We need to tell you something,” Nishinoya loudly called out, brushing past a startled Tsukishima and Yamaguchi without any recognition that the two had returned. Daichi blinked in confusion.

“If you’ll excuse us, Nishinoya, but I was discussing an urgent matter with these two.”

The thief looked at the scouting duo and then back to the Captain with a harried expression.

“This is more important. You have to listen to me,” Nishinoya pleaded.

“Captain, you need to hear to what he has to say,” Asahi confirmed quietly yet steadfastly. After hearing the reserved man speak up and seeing a shaken Hinata and teary eyed Yachi behind him, Daichi decided to give his attention to the party that had so suddenly infiltrated his office. He motioned for Nishinoya to continue.

“We just witnessed a public execution. There was no trial and no proper legal jurisdiction. The guards took his head off in front of the entire crowd simply because they thought he was aiding Hinata,” Noya hurriedly explained. That peaked Daichi’s interest.

“Where were you? Where did this happen?”

“The docks, Daichi! Right here. It’s not safe anywhere anymore. For all we know the guards could be forcing their way into shops and ships as we speak. And they’re all looking for him,” Noya said, pointing at the trembling Sun.

“I know you said you would never fight the Royals after what happened to the Small Giant but we can no longer turn a blind eye. Especially not now that we have Hinata with us,” Asahi calmly reminded.

“I know what our mission is, Azumane,” Daichi snapped, eyes hiding fear and fury. “I don’t need you to remind me what we set out to do.”

“With all due respect, _Captain_ , we haven’t done anything useful in a long-ass time.”

“Nishinoya, I respect your opinions, but if I ever hear that tone of insubordination from-…”

“Who is the Small Giant?” Hinata asked in a shaky voice amidst the clatter of argument. When no one replied to him, he tried again in a louder voice. “Who is the Small Giant?!”

Once he raised his voice, those who were arguing were quick to quiet down. Everyone in the room exchanged looks of sorrow, unease, and pity before Nishinoya looked to Daichi with a soft expression.

“I believe this is your story to tell, Captain,” he murmured, taking his place under a bookshelf beside Asahi.

The air in the room grew still as Daichi’s entire frame tensed. A small ray of fading evening light illuminated a spot on the floor next to the Captain's boot-clad foot. He opened his eyes and stared at the lit up spot before exhaling solemnly and squinting up at Hinata.

“The first thing you must know about the Small Giant is that he was a good man, a brave man. He didn’t deserve the fate that befell him,” Daichi opened, a weary hand rubbing at his chin. “He was my senior in the Royal Navy. I trained under him for several years before I was commissioned to work for him on his vessel. We fought for the Kageyamas until we witnessed a band of forest folk being enslaved and murdered by our own brothers in arms.” When he said this, Daichi’s expression morphed into one of true anguish. It was as if he was remembering something that had shaken him to the core. “I was only able to save one… person. I swore to both Sugawara and myself that day that I would personally see to the restoration of the Suns’ power.

And so the Small Giant stole his vessel from the Navy and became, for lack of a better term, a pirate. Of course I followed him as his First Mate. We sailed the seas and skies for a few years, fighting against the ruling family, until one day when we’d stopped in port further south near the beaches in order to stock up on supplies. Precautions were always taken to ensure no one recognized us but, unfortunately, a gust of wind blew the Small Giant’s hood off and someone immediately identified him as the traitor.”

Here Daichi paused, eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to block out the agony from so long ago.

“He was executed on the spot. Never in my life did I think I’d have to see the head of my senior resting glassy-eyed at my feet. And yet there it was… I ran away with Suga and we escaped on The Crow, taking over as Captain and First Mate. No one from the original crew followed us. They thought we were mad for still trying to run from the Kageyamas. Originally we thought we’d continue to fight, but after losing my senior I just couldn’t continue. That was when we turned The Crow into a sort of refugee ship to help those who had been oppressed by the Royals.”

“This is where I come in,” Nishinoya whispered noisily and a lighthearted chuckle passed throughout the room.

“Yes, Noya was the first person we rescued,” Daichi said with a smile. “Tanaka came soon after and the rest followed suit. Eventually we came to have the family that you see today. I’ve tried so hard to protect my family from the atrocities the Kageyamas are inflicting on the Kingdom but I see that I can no longer turn a blind eye. I have a promise to uphold, after all.”

Throughout the entire story, Hinata had been listening with rapt interest; however, now that the tale was over, the suns in his eyes blazed with deep-rooted respect for the Captain who had seen much sadness in his time on Earth.

“Captain…” Hinata began but Daichi waved him off in favour of addressing Asahi.

“I need you to take the helm, Azumane. Yachi, fetch Kiyoko and tell her we need to chart a course to the Western forests. Tsukishima, alert the engine room boys that we’ll be heading out of port as soon as possible. Everyone, to your stations now!”

As everyone exited the office to prepare for leaving port, Hinata couldn’t help but have the tiniest inkling of dread take seed in his gut. He turned to Daichi, who was now scouring over the map table, with a worried expression.

“Captain… I can’t stay on board The Crow. I appreciate everything you’ve done for me but I have to get back to the underground. I was the revolution’s leader and they need me! I can’t run like the rest of you. I know you probably think this is stupid but I’m going to take down the Kageyamas myself even if I die trying,” Hinata announced, with clenched fists.

As candlelight cast flickering shadows about the room, Daichi looked up from the map, first blinking and then easing into a smile.

“Hinata, don’t you understand? We’re not running anymore. We’re going to fight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok first of all I'd like to apologize for this chapter. It's not the best nor the most interesting but a lot of set up had to happen in order to get to the main plot. Thankfully the main plot starts in the next chapter so you guys can look forward to that :D
> 
> I had originally intended to write more in this chpater but had to cut it down due to already going over my estimated word count. But don't worry, I'm putting the cut material in the beginning of the next chapter. There'll be a lengthy scene with Kenma as well as Hinata and Kags' first interaction!!! Hype, hype.
> 
> A biiiiiig thank you to everyone who has read, commented, kudo'ed and the likes. I really appreciate your guy's feedback and it makes me so happy to see new comments :) So yeah, Yachi's backstory has been revealed and Suga has been greatly hinted at. (I still wanna see if anyone can guess what he is).
> 
> I'll try to update before next weekend. Until then lovelies ~(⁰▿⁰)~


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